Posted at: 11/09/2009 8:38 PM
By: Becky Nahm

Golden Valley Day Care Owner Allegedly Pinned Down Kids

A Golden Valley day care owner is accused of using safety pins to attach children to their mattress or turn their pajamas into straight jackets.

Arvilla Menhardt is charged with malicious punishment of a child and false imprisonment.

The state has suspended the license of her in-home day care, located on Duluth Lane.

Acting on a tip, police investigated the day care. Investigators say they found pajamas with pin holes and pajamas with the pins still in them hidden under a mattress.

"Basically (she) took kids pajamas and pinned them like straight jackets when they went down for a nap," said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. "But some of the other kids she actually pinned to the bed or the crib where they were laying."

According to the criminal complaint, Meinhardt demonstrated to police how she pinned pajama legs together to restrict their movement. She also allegedly told officers she had been doing it for years.

The complaint also says parents had no idea what was going on.

A 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS crew knocked on the door of Meinhardt's day care. No one answered.